PHNOM PENH, July 9: Asians continued to flee Cambodia today with the help of home government-supplied military planes, while most Westerners stayed put in the capital after regrouping from western provinces where there are reports of increased factional fighting.

Limited domestic air service resumed today and some charter flights were taking out a mixed assembly of foreigners, including top executives from foreign firms and their families.

The domestic flights enabled aid workers and tourists visiting the historic Angkor Wat temple complex but stranded in nearby Siem Reap town in the northwest of the country to return to the capital.

There has been sporadic fighting between rival political factions outside siem reap town for the past few days and new military movements suggest there could be an escalation shortly.

Between 400 and 500 Filipinos who registered with their embassy in Phnom Penh were expected to leave today aboard Philippine air force cargo planes for Manila via Bangkok.

meanwhile, Cambodia's coup leader Hun Sen has sent large numbers of extra troops to western Cambodia to prevent forces of ousted Prime Minister Prince Norodom Rannariddh linking up with hardline Khmer Rouge guerrillas, breakaway Khmer Rouge sources said today.

The sources, who were monitoring troop movements inside Cambodia by field radio, said Hun Sen's forces had succeeded in blocking various routes between Poipet on Cambodia's border with Thailand and the northwestern province of Siem Reap.

``Hun Sen ordered his troops to prevent Khmer Rouge from Anlong Veng from joining royalist forces fighting his soldiers in Siem Reap,'' a veteran senior guerrilla commander said.

But Thai security sources said dozens of royalist pro-Ranariddh Funcinpec members and their families had fled to the eastern Thai border town of Aranyaprathet.

Hun Sen, who had ruled Cambodia alongside Ranariddh since UN organised elections in 1993, deposed the Prince and assumed sole control after bloody clashes in Phnom Penh at the weekend.

Thai army commander in chief General Chetta Thanajaro told reporters there had been no major clashes yet but fierce fighting could erupt should Ranariddh loyalists manage to link up with khmer rouge hardliners.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.